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Holly Gordon

To say that Edmonton’s the Royal Foundry has changed its sound would be a gross understatement, as co-founders Jared Salte and Bethany Schumacher — partners in both music and life — have turned their earlier folk leanings into synth-pop bangers. But what really shines through on both their 2014 debut, Wherever We Go, and this new sophomore release, Lost in Your Head, is heart — and that will never be genre-specific.

The Royal Foundry’s seize-the-day outlook is infectious on Lost in Your Head, as Salte and Schumacher yell “Just say you want it all!” overtop their new pop sound and a body-shaking drum beat on “Say You Want It.” It’s a firestarter of a lead track, and Salte and Schumacher, who now count Royal Foundry as a four-piece, drive that momentum straight through this release. “All We Have,” which appeared as an acoustic track on their folk debut, is given a newly remixed life as Lost in Your Head’s third track, while “Running Away,” the song that started Salte and Schumacher’s veer from folk to pop, finishes the 13 tracks with a synth-y flourish. (It also won the Royal Foundry second place in Alberta’s 2015 Peak Performance Project, which came with $75,000. That year also saw the band make Searchlight's top 25 regional finalists.)

Hit play on the Royal Foundry’s Lost in Your Head one week ahead of its release in our player to the left, and start your synth-pop dance party. The album will be released on Aug. 15, and you can pre-order it here.